What They Did Last Summer: Q&As with our 2020 Organic Farming Interns

It’s around this time every year that we realize we only have a few fleeting moments left with the year’s annual crop of organic farming interns. Yesterday, on October 30, we said goodbye to this year’s exceptionally hardworking crew, who grew so much—literally and figuratively—during their seven months with us. We asked them to tell us what it was like working in the fields at Turner Farm, and here’s what they had to say. Keep reading to find out what Becky, Elliot, Emily and Jen did last summer.

Becky

How would you sum up your experience in 10 words or less?
Several newcomers
Building soil, understanding
Growing food and awe. 

What surprised you most during your organic farming internship at Turner Farm?
How much plants want to grow! Organic market gardening is really about creating conditions for the crops to do their thing and finding enough folks to eat them. 

What was the best part of your internship, and why?
Working outside every day with a team of incredible young farmers.

What was the hardest part of your internship, and why?
Learning to be new at something again and accepting my own limitations. 

How do you feel about organic farming today versus on your first day?
I feel more optimistic than ever about organic farming today. This internship has confirmed my hope that a life lived close to the land is healthy and restorative for body and spirit. Now I hope to pursue a life in farming and to help other folks realize the joy of a good relationship with not just your food, but who and where it comes from. 

Elliot

How would you sum up your experience in 10 words or less?
I don’t think I can imagine a more fulfilling internship.

What surprised you most during your organic farming internship at Turner Farm?
How quickly this work ruins clothing.

What was the best part of your internship?
Being a part of an incredible crew. Hands down some of the greatest people I’ve ever met.

What was the hardest part of your internship?
Trying not to allow outside stressors to invade this space. Especially during the more monotonous tasks, it took a lot of practice to remain truly present.

How do you feel about organic farming today versus on your first day?
I felt a bit overwhelmed by how much there is to learn. Now that I have a foundation, I’m excited by it. 

Emily

How would you sum up your experience in 10 words or less?
Everyday is different and rewarding in its own way. 

What was the best part of your internship, and why?
Getting to know the other interns, free cosmic brownies from ray, and getting hands on experience. I learn by doing so it was great to work and learn the ins and outs of farming with such a great team.  

What was the hardest part of your internship, and why?
Bush beans! If you know you know. 

How do you feel about organic farming today versus on your first day?
I would say I feel even more eager to learn than I was at the beginning of the season. I have developed a deeper understanding of what it means to farm ethically and how to give back to earth just as much as we are taking from it. I have a deeper respect for organic farmers and the hard work they do for our food and our planet. 

Jen

How would you sum up your experience in 10 words or less?
Farming is real work that can cultivate real change!

What surprised you most during your organic farming internship at Turner Farm?
I was surprised to learn that big, beautiful carrots can be grown in our clay heavy soil!

What was the best part of your internship? And the hardest?
The best and hardest parts of this internship might actually be the same for me. Farming requires us to surrender to the flow in a way that is equally challenging and rewarding. Nature commands the abandonment of “the plan” at times (hello, tornado), but with that comes room for creative thinking and learning how best to weave our agricultural needs into the greater ecological scheme.

How do you feel about organic farming today versus on your first day?
I am only more excited about organic farming than I was on day one. Farming comes with some long, hard days, but this summer has only highlighted how endless the possibilities are for a small-scale farmer, and I am ready to keep exploring.